Couldn't see these had been posted before, the grades from Pro Football Focus for the game against Carolina
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/09/09/refo-sea-car-week-1/
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/09/09/refo-sea-car-week-1/
Seattle – Three Performances of Note
New Kid on the Block
While the Seahawks didn’t get a lot going on the ground (20 halfback runs for 60 yards with almost half of those coming on two runs) do not blame the new fullback. Derrick Coleman (+2.4) consistently dominated in the hole on lead blocks and also threw in three receptions netting 30 yards for good measure. However, it was his work in his prime role that stood out. He was only in for seven running plays but on three of those he clearly won the battle in the hole.
While Robert Turbin may not have gained any yards on the play, watch the movement he gets on Quintin Mikell in the right “B” gap with 1:32 gone in the first quarter.
The only note of negativity came when he failed to stay in bounds after picking up a first down late in the fourth, but this is small stuff and the gentle post-play talking to he got from offensive line coach Tom Cable will probably have the desired effect.
Wilson’s World
If you didn’t watch the game and saw Russell Wilson’s (+2.2) grade you may be surprised it’s not higher. If you did, you probably already realize this was a display that ran the full gamut of performance. In his defense he was under a lot of pressure, but he won’t give that excuse, so neither should we.
Let’s start with the good. He made at least five top quality throws –some of which came after escaping pressure and throwing on the run – many of which few other quarterbacks would have been able to even get in a position to attempt. The burst to escape the pocket and then the velocity he gets on the ball while scrambling right (Q2 14:22) is a movement of lethal grace but he needs to temper these with a little more circumspection on other plays.
The almost-interception thrown from the end zone nearly made a bad position worse and a couple of overthrows on relatively easy passes suggest room for the improvement he’ll definitely need next week against the 49ers.
Pushing a Lost Cause?
Not for one minute am I saying the Seahawks should cut James Carpenter (-2.3) tomorrow, but I do think they need to invest a little bit next offseason in upgrading their position at guard. At the moment he’s really not much worse than the other players at their disposal but he’s still closer to a bust than a viable left guard.
In order to get the 2011 first-rounder some playing time, the Seahawks decided to rotate him on a quarter-by-quarter basis with Paul McQuistan (-2.2) and it really was a case of pick your poison. Carpenter was a slightly more effective pass protector while McQuistan had the edge in run blocking, but both these are relative terms; the combined result was not a good one. The ease with which Greg Hardy swims by Carpenter (Q4 12:58) to make the tackle for loss is an example of the issues that still need to be resolved.
Game Notes
- Given the extremely high quality of the punting by Panthers Brad Nortman (+5.2), one of the most understated parts of this game was Golden Tate averaging 12 yards per return on four attempts.
- It’s very early but Doug Baldwin’s 3.64 Yards Per Route Run is very good (the best in the NFL last year was Andre Johnson with 3.01) and possibly an indication that he’s due more than 55% of snaps.
PFF Game Ball
It’s coming to something when you criticize Russell Wilson before giving him the PFF game ball. I guess that’s the measure of him these days – his average is better than many quarterbacks very best